


Christmas Without Neil Diem

by ZodiacBiologist



Series: Campus Diem [6]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Christmas, Future Fic, Gen, Hanukkah, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-14 04:55:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13000320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZodiacBiologist/pseuds/ZodiacBiologist
Summary: It's Christmas/Hanukkah time again and Nikki can't help but feel less than merry since her accident. A lot has changed for her, from not getting to help decorate, to finding out Neil would not be joining them this year. Is there anything that can turn this holiday season around?





	1. Chapter 1

This would be a whole Christmas/Hanukkah of firsts for Miss Nicolette. Her parents had picked her up from campus early in the morning in order to beat the holiday traffic

“Dad, if you did ninety, we’d already be home!” Nikki whined from the back seat; she would have started kicking it for emphasis if her legs would just cooperate with her, but they didn’t. And so, they did an even sixty down the highway, the whole drive home. 

As if being unable to drive herself (and speed) didn’t annoy her enough, then her house would. Carl had spent the whole week after the accident building accommodations for Nikki. A ramp was assembled for the front steps, the legs were taken from Nikki’s bed to have it lower to the ground, and the hinges on the doors were replaced so they would swing freely both ways.

He had been initially proud of himself until Nikki had begun to cry.

“Sweetheart, it’s okay…” He dropped his tool box to put his arms around the girl, though nothing would stop those tears for the rest of the day.

____________________________________

With Nikki’s inability to return home as much as she pleased, the house had been decorated without her, another first of this damn season.

There was nothing she loved to do more than decorate with her mom every year, but even that was robbed from her in that stupid accident!

Wheeling up the front steps of the house, Nikki took in another difference, “Hey, why isn’t Neil home yet? Didn’t his finals finish already?”

If she could, she would have turned to face her parents, who were exchanging a look that made caused a pit of despair to form with Nikki, “Mom? Dad?”

“Nicholette...Neil isn’t coming home this year, baby...He’s gonna stay with Tab-” Candy hardly had time to finish her sentence when a disgruntled cry fell from Nikki’s mouth. If she could walk and if these doors could still slam, she would have already gone crashing into the house, wailing all the way to her bedroom; however, that wasn’t an option right now. And so, Nikki sat helpless on the porch, crying her eyes out in front of her parents.  
____________________________________

Once her crying had stopped, Carl carried Nikki to her room, tucking her in for a much needed nap, 

“Do ya need anything, princess? Maybe some Christmas cookies? Or I could go get the dreidle an-”

“Dad, seriously. I just want to be alone…” Nikki cut in, hugging her pillow tight. Carl sighed,

“Ya know...we’re still going to have a great holiday...even without Neil…” 

Nikki didn’t respond, only hugging her pillow tighter. Carl left the room without another word.  
____________________________________

It snowed that night and, if she could, Nikki would have leapt from her bed and run outside in it. Instead, she sat by her bedroom window, watching it fall into soft piles on the ground. The burning desire the roll around in those piles brought tears to Nikki’s eyes once more. If only she hadn’t gone out that day. She knew she shouldn’t have been driving, but she did. She almost got Nerris and herself killed that day and this was her punishment. 

Sitting and watching everyone else enjoy themselves.

It really was stupid of her to drive that morning, but damn it, she had been so close to winning that bet! She had set the whole thing up since the beginning; using up the coffee, conveniently ‘forgetting’ to buy more, the whole thing had been a set up. She just needed the conversation to go down at The Bean, and not Max’s house. 

Well, consider all that a lesson learned.

And so, she sat, either watching people bustle past her house or her parents bustle around the house. And in that moment, Nikki felt lonely.

“Nicholette, do ya need anything?” Her mother called from down the hall. Nikki groaned; why couldn’t anyone just leave her alone?

“No, mom!” She called back, wheeling closer to her door, which swung pathetically on its hinges. 

“Do you wanna decorate cookies with me?” Candy called in response, the sound of a timer going off in the distance. 

Nikki sighed, but found herself wheeling from her room, hanging her head to avoid any sympathetic eyes. She was handed a plate of cookies and a tube of icing the moment she entered the kitchen. Not even the hilarious lopsided or burned treats could bring a smile to her face. 

“I wish Neil was here,” The girl said to no one in particular, “He’d know how to make things better…”

Ever since the accident, all Nikki wanted was some time with her brother. They could hang out with Max and pretend like it was old times again. But, those days were over. Neil and Tabbi were gonna have a kid and Max was too busy trying not to fail his classes to have fun anymore. 

“Nikki, what if we video call Neil? We can set up the laptop right here and pretending like he’s here.” Carl offered Nikki a grin that was not returned.

“I think I’m just gonna take another nap…” Nikki set her plate of cookies on the counter and wheeled in the living room. She put the brakes on before using her arms to hoist herself onto the couch. If she was going to spend the holidays immobile, she would at least spend them staring at the twinkling Christmas tree and simple menorah that stood across from her.

As she laid on the couch, one leg hanging limp over the side, Nikki closed her eyes. Memories of happier times began to swirl around in her head, ones of her and Neil lighting the menorah, burying their parents’ car in a mountain of snow, or falling asleep waiting for the Hanukkah fairy they invented once Nikki realized Santa didn’t exist. 

She realized now, of course, that Neil had given up his attempt at explaining why fairies and Santa were scientifically impossible in order to preserve his dear sister’s happiness. 

And so, to finally give into her brother’s ‘science talk’, Nikki kept her eyes closed despite hearing her name being called; Because Neil arriving at this very moment seemed scientifically impossible. A lot of things right now seemed scientifically impossible.


	2. Chapter 2

“Nikki...ooooh, Nikki….” The voice had not stopped calling, despite the girl’s attempts at ignoring it. 

“What do you want?” Nikki finally grumbled, though she made no attempt to see who was speaking to her.

“I want you to open your eyes.” The voice said, an impatient tone setting in. 

“Fine, but only if you’ll leave me alone.” The teal-haired girl snapped, opening her eyes to a half-lid. There, sitting on the coffee table across from her, was an open laptop, Neil’s disapproving face stared at her.

“Good, now, Nik-”

“I told dad I didn’t want to Skype you…” Nikki cut in, moving to turn her head away from the screen. She heard a sigh behind her.

“Nikki, I know...but just talk to me, okay?” 

“Why should I?” Nikki barked, raising her head, though she didn’t turn it. Neil sighed once more, though it sounded as though it were out of desperation, rather than frustration.

“Because, I need to hear from my sister...this holiday season is making me want to blow my brains out…” Nikki heard what sounded like an office chair reclining, “I want to be home, I really do...cook with mom and dad, sit under the tree with you and wait for the Hanukkah fairy...I miss it…” 

“Neil...why did everything have to change?” Neil almost didn’t hear his sister speak, though her question resonated with him. He forgot sometimes that things at home had changed, too; even if he wasn’t there to witness it. 

Perhaps that was the real reason why he chose not to come home for the holidays this year; he knew the home and the people there weren’t as he remembered. He spent most of his day pretending as though Nikki would have run into his arms had he come home this year. She would’ve jumped on the couch cushions after eating all of Santa’s cookies and climbed to the roof to see if she could spot him.

Seeing her now, unable to even properly roll over in bed was a painful reminder of what was no longer possible.

“I don’t know, Nik...but I do know...I do know that…”

“What?” Nikki finally looked up. Neil offered her a sad smile,

“The Hanukkah fairy...She talked to Santa an-” The screen froze briefly before the video cut out. Had Nikki looked up sooner, she would have noticed the blinking ‘low battery’ in the corner. It didn’t matter, though. With the laptop dead, she could resume her pity nap once more…  
____________________________________

“Nikki...ooooh, Nikki….”

“God, damn it, who charged the lap-” Nikki pushed herself up onto her elbows, blinking the sleep from her eyes. The sleep must’ve been causing her to see things because, standing before her wasn’t the laptop. Instead, she stared at her brother, who was pulling her into his arms before she had a chance to process what was going on. 

“I’m home…” Neil muttered, doing his best to keep it together. It had been a bit of a challenge to convince Space Man, who took up piloting in his spare time, to help him out, though the man eventually came around to the idea. 

And so, just in time to catch the Hanukkah fairy, Neil and Nikki sat beneath the tree, pretending that the life they once had was still scientifically possible, even if Santa getting to all those homes in one night was not.

**Author's Note:**

> A Holiday miracle, perhaps? I dunno. Stick around for chapter two!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.


End file.
